Preventive Parenting with Love, Encouragement, and Limits: The Preschool Years.

Dishion, Thomas J.; Patterson, Scot G.

Infants and toddlers need to learn a wide range of skills from their parents to prepare them for their experiences outside the home. This guide is designed to provide parents with practical, future-oriented suggestions on raising toddlers and preschool-age children. It provides a step-by-step approach to handling everyday problems, promoting the well-being of children, and creating a positive family atmosphere. The goal of this guide is to help parents face the challenges of parenting with skills and confidence. Chapter 1, "Focusing on Key Events," deals with identification of key events and problems within the household and effective responses that parents can use. Chapter 2, "Teaching Cooperation," emphasizes the strategies that parents can use to encourage cooperation in children and the long-term benefits that accrue from being cooperative. Chapter 3, "Supporting Children's Positive Behavior," claims that children's cooperation should not be taken for granted because positive attention provides the incentive for them to cooperate. The chapter also provides strategies for parents to give incentives to children. Chapter 4, "Using Stickers and Star Charts," discusses children's need for support and motivation to change their behavior. Chapter 5, "Setting Limits on Misbehavior," deals with how to set boundaries for unacceptable behavior in children. Chapter 6, "Using Consequences and Time Out," provides some general guidelines on using consequences with young children. Chapter 7, "Coaching Children's Friendships," discusses three essential social skills in children and how parents can help them in developing these skills. Chapter 8, "Building Family Relationships," deals with the well-being of family life through shared activities. Included is a list of further readings on toilet training, bedtime problems, child development, raising teenagers, and marital problems. (MOK)